Hinge construction



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I l INVENTOR. LEE TRIPLETT I ll.lllll|\ III I u w m I Q Ilka? HIS ATTORNEY June 2, 1970 L. TRIPLETT HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 5, 1968 June 2, 1970 L. TRIPLETT HINGE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1968 FIGS INVENTOR. LEE TRIPLETT HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,514,807 HINGE CONSTRUCTION Lee Triplett, 2878 South 8600 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121 Filed Aug. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 750,363 Int. Cl. Ed 5/02 US. Cl. 16-158 8- Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention comprises a new and improved hinge construction which may be adapted for securing gates having either metal tubular frames or rectangular wood frames, by way of example. The hinges of the present invention are provided with expandable compression-lock means by which the hinges can be mounted to external walls, posts, and so forth. The hinge is specially constructed as regards bearing surfaces provided so that the hinge may be easily secured in place in blind apertures, bores, and so forth.

The present invention relates to hinge constructions and, more particularly, to a new and improved hinge construction incorporating an expandable friction-lock device whereby the hinge construction may be easily secured to masonry walls, posts, and so forth. In various embodiments of the present invention it will be seen that the hinge is ideally suited for securement to wood gates, metal gates, tubular frames, panels, and so forth. In a preferred embodiment, so far as tubular frame securement is concerned, the present invention incorporates means which are expandable to accommodate various sizes of tubular constructions.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hinge construction for doors, gates, and so forth.

A further object is to provide a hinge construction incorporating a compression-type friction-lock whereby the device can be mounted to a masonry wall, post, or the like.

An additional object is to provide a hinge construction wherein, by reducing bearing area surfaces to a minimum, the hinge may be easily turned such that the compression-lock takes effect in the bore easily within which it is disposed.

An additional object is to provide a new and improved hinge construction accommodating gate structures wherein the hinge construction is easily adaptable for securement to tubular frames of various diameter sizes.

A further object is to provide a bolt-type friction-lock hinge wherein the shear strength of the bolt is increased through use of a cooperating, ornamental boss or plate.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood 'by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hinge according to one form of the present invention wherein the same is provided with the friction-lock of the invention, the hinge being used to secure, as by bolt-means, the frame of a gate.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the device and masonry wall of FIG. 1, but illustrates an alternate form of the invention wherein a saddle or plate reinforcement, for example, is employed to secure the tubular member of the gate to the hinge.

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FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrates the hinge as having been revolved about the longitudinal axis of its mount so as to produce a friction-lock of the hinge to the masonry wall.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hinge taking another form according to the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail, principally in section, of the hinge of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates one form of reinforcement plate construction by which a tubular frame of a gate may be retained in place by the hinge of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken along the lines 7-7 and illustrates the gate engagement portion of the hinge as being circumscribed by a pair of resilient, reinforcing saddles or plates.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but illustrates the saddles of FIG. 7 being initially installed as shown and prepared for expansion and ultimate contiguous engagement, throughout the entire inner surface area of the saddle, with the tubular gate with which it is associated; when the saddles are so urged inwardly by the stud and nut means employed, then the same may graspingly contain substantially the entire periphery of the tubular gate in FIG. 8 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 the wall 10 is shown to be provided with hinge 11, the latter being mounted to gate member 12 of gate 13 so as to enable the turning of the gate for ingress and egress.

FIG. 2 illustrates that the Wall may, for example, comprise a masonry, brick, or cylinder-block wall. In such event a cement drill can be used to provide aperture or bore 14.

Hinge 11 is secured to the wall 10 at bore 14 and comprises the following structure, details of which are illustrated in FIG. 2. Hinge bolt 15 includes an enlarged bearing portion 16 and a threaded shank 17 which threads into hinge mount 18. Integrally formed with hinge mount 18 is a rotation boss 19 having Wrench flats W or other suitable configurement enabling the easy rotation of the hinge about axis A.

Hinge mount 18 is provided with a bearing shoulder 20 engaging the protruding bearing surface 21 of mounting flange 22. It is noted that this bearing engagement between the two parts, i.e. hinge mount 18 and mounting flange 22, is reduced to a minimum contact area. This feature is important since it enables the mounting of the hinge, the rotation of rotation boss 19 of the remainder of the hinge thus being easily rotatable against surface 21 of mounting flange 22, thereby retaining the latter against axial movement during the tightening process of the hinge.

Mounted flange 22 also includes an insertion boss 23 which is designed to fit tightly into aperture 14. This feature measurably reinforces bolt 24 against forces in shear applied to the bolt exterior of wall surface 10'.

Bolt 24 may be made integral with or be tapped into hinge mount 18 to the left of rotation boss 19. Disposed about the bolt is an axially compressible, radially expandable compression sleeve 25, and the latter is backed by nut 26.

by and reinforced by the brackets. Apertures 38 and 39 of gate frame member 12 are aligned with and admit the boss extensions of nuts 34 and 35.

Preliminary to the attachment of the gate frame member 12 to the hinge device of the present invention, the same is secured tightly in place in a manner illustrated in FIG. 3. This can be accomplished simply by the user applying a wrench to rotation boss 19 and turning the same such that nut 26, by virtue of the increased friction present at the nut sleeve juncture, rides up the bolt or threaded shank 24. This action is made possible without manual access to the rear of the wall simply by the user relying upon the friction between the compression sleeve and the wall to retain the sleeve in place, the friction between nut 26 and pre-loaded sleeve being greater than the friction between the nut 26 and bolt 24, so that upon turning the forward end of the device the nut '26 will automatically ride forwardly upon the bolt toward rotation of boss 19. Once the compression-type securernent of the device has been completed as illustrated in FIG. 3, then the stud 28 and its attachments may be used to secure the same to gate frame member 12.

In operation the gate frame member 12, of course, may be easily rotated about axis B through the use of conventional hand pressure. Hollow hinge boss 27, in being pivoted to enlarged bearing 16, will simply be rotationally displaced thereabout in accordance with the movement of the gate.

It will, of course, be understood that the opposite fastener means employed to retain the gate in closed position may be of similar construction relative to the mounting thereof to the support structure proximate the opposite side of the gate.

FIG. 8 illustrates the structure of FIGS. 6 and 7 being applied to a gate frame member 12A of substantially larger diameter relative to that illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. It is to be noted that where the saddles or brackets wall plates 29 and 30 are made of malleable or deformable material, then such plates will conform themselves to the outer periphery of the enlarged gate frame member. It is most important to note at this juncture that a gradual compression force is applied to effect the rotation of nut 34 in FIG. 8 will cause a gradual conformation of plates 29 and 30 to the enlarged diameter tube 12A. This is best accomplished where the side configuration as at C and D of each of the saddles, brackets, or plates is rounded as indicated. Were the sides simply rectilinear and vertical, there might tend to be a buckling of the central portion of these plates as the nut 35 is threaded toward nut 34. By such a convex edge periphery as at C and D, the content of tubular gate member 12 in focusing upon a central edge portion of the respective plates, will urge the plates outwardly in a less concave manner inwardly such that through a distribution of the force pattern therethrough the plates will gradually come into engagement contact with the exterior surface of gate frame member 12A. Thus, it conforms to the larger tube as though it were actually intended for that tube.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, is substantially identical to that illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, but also includes the concept of a hinge plate 38 which is secured by opposing hinge bolts 15A and 15B to the hinge rnount 18A. Hinge bolts 15A and 15B each include enlarged journal bosses 16A and 16B receiving hollow hinge bosses or sleeves 39 and 40 of hinge plate 38. Bolt 25A simply takes the form of a threaded stud which is pinned by pin 41 to boss 42 of hinge mount 18A. Other forms of securernent such as welding, for example, may be used to secure the stud within the body of hinge mount 18A. An axially compressible, radially expandable sleeve 44, preferably an elastomeric sleeve, is backed by nut 45 in a manner similar to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2.

In assembly, the structure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, minus the hinge plate 38 and hinge bolt attachments 16A and 16B, is rotationally turned against bearing surface 21 of flange 22 until a tight compression fit is obtained relative to sleeve 44 and bore 46 Within which the structure is mounted. The gate plate may be preliminarily secured to a wood or other type gate, and then the latter may be positioned such as to permit the insertion of hinge bolts or hinge pivot means 16A and 16B, allowing the latter to be threaded into hinge mount 18A. Suitable apertures D, of course, are drilled and tapped into hinge mount 18A to accommodate the threaded placement of the hinge bolts 16A and 16B in the manner indicated. This same type of hinge construction may be repeated above or below the illustrated mountings so that two or more hinges may be provided any particular gate to be attached to the support member 10A in FIG. 5. The same also applies in connection with FIG. 1.

What hence is provided is a new and improved means for attaching gates of all types to support members for pivotal rotation with respect thereto. The installation is easily accomplished simply by providing for each connection a single bore or aperture, and then inserting the compression-lock portion of the device within such aperture, tightening the same in the manner illustrated in connection with FIG. 2, and then directly attaching gate 12 with its hinge plate or clamp to the hinge mount of the particular hinge subject, Whether this takes the form illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 or in FIGS. 4-5. Extreme versatility is supplied both in connection with wood gates, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and also in connection with metal gates wherein the clamping means of FIGS. 6-8 accommodate various sizes of tubular frames of such gates.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes in modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A hinge construction including, in combination, a hinge mount, journal bearing means secured to and upstanding from said hinge mount, hollow hinge boss means journaled to said journal bearing means, means secured to said hollow hinge boss means for mounting an external swinging member thereto, a threaded member integral with said hinge mount, projecting therefrom, and having a longitudinal axis, an axially compressible, radially expandable, friction-lock sleeve mounted upon said threaded member, and means for compressing said sleeve and thereby radially expanding the same, to produce a friction-lock thereby in a mounting aperture of external structure intended for supporting said swinging member, upon the revolvement of said hinge mount about the longitudinal axis of said threaded member.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said compressing means comprises nut means threaded onto said threaded member and backing said sleeve, and reaction means disposed betw en and cooperatively disposed with respect to said sleeve and said hinge mount.

3. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said reaction means includes a boss constructed for positioning in said mounting aperture and engaging said sleeve.

4. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said reaction means includes an annular raised bearing rim disposed in bearing engagement with said hinge mount.

5. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said reaction means includes an annular raised bearing rim disposed in bearing engagement with said hinge mount.

6. Structure according to claim 4 wherein said hinge mount includes a guide projection disposed within said rim but spaced from the remainder of said reaction means.

7. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a second threaded member for receiving said external swinging member, said external member being tubular, and wherein said mounting means also includes a pair of concave plates backing opposite sides of said tubular external member and second nut means for securing said saddle plates to opposite sides of said tubular mounting member.

8. Structure according to claim 7 wherein said saddle plates are constructed of deformable material, the sides of said saddle plates being convexly contoured, whereby to permit uniform, thrusting, progressive encompassing of said external tubular member, whatever its diameter, upon the tightening of said second nut means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1956 Bryce 248-289 7/1912 Williams 248289 

